Prof. Ruth Halperin-Kaddari quoted on the New York Times: “Expanding the powers of the Rabbinical courts excludes women” .
Ultra-Orthodox members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right coalition want to expand the powers of all-male rabbinical courts, and to bar women and men from mixing in many public arenas. A more recent proposal would let the rabbinical courts determine child support in some circumstances. “It’s important to emphasize: The rabbinical courts have only male […]
The Rackman Center is thrilled to share a major success in our fight against domestic violence and violence against women.
Yesterday, the Knesset passed the bill for electronic supervision of perpetrators of domestic violence. Once the bill goes into effect (in a year), judges will be authorized to issue a warrant for electronic monitoring devices in cases where certain preconditions are met. In urgent cases, the judge is authorized to issue the warrant even if […]
Spreading the word! What’s going on in Israel for Israeli women
This month, the Rackman Center, led by Prof. Ruth Halperin-Kaddari and Leah Goeppinger-Levy, spoke at two webinars about the current political situation in Israel and its potential impact on women and women’s right. The first was on June 14 with representatives of the Jewish Women’s Funding Network and the second was on June 19 with […]
The High Court of Justice issued an order nisi in response to the Rackman Center’s petition, ordering the State to provide legal justification to its refusal to include female Halachic scholars as part of the group of Rabbis in the Election Committee for the Chief Rabbis of Israel
Bar-Ilan University’s Rackman Center for the Advancement of Women petitioned the High Court of Justice with regard to Section 7 (8) of the Chief Rabbinate Law which provides for the appointment of “ten rabbis” to the committee that elects chief rabbis, requesting that female Halachic scholars will also be appointed under the Section. The Center’s […]
Visit by the Joseph Alexander Foundation
Last week (June, 22nd 2023) we had the pleasure of hosting at The Rackman Center our long-time friends and partners, the Joseph Alexander Foundation. We had the privilege of meeting the extended family and sharing just how important the Foundation’s support has been to both the Rackman Center and the University. Prof. Halperin-Kaddari of the […]
Women’s participation in the Chief Rabbi Election Assembly
The Rackman Center drafted a proposal to amend the Law of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel (Amendment – Composition of the Electoral Assembly). The proposal was submitted by MK Mati Sarfati Harkabi, who was joined by other Knesset members. In the last elections for the Chief Rabbinate Council of Israel that were held in 2018, […]
Collective Expert Academic Response to attempts to undermine the Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls report dated 13 April 2023 titled Custody, violence against women and violence against children
To: United Nations Human Rights Council From: International Expert Academic Consortium RE: Report of the Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls, Custody, violence against women and violence against children, to be presented at the 53rd Session of […]
Legal achievement – Israel’s High Court of Justice confirmed the Rabbinical Court’s authority to discuss the matter of gett refusal between a Jewish couple from Great Britain in order to free an aguna
In a legal achievement for the Rackman Center, together with the organization, ‘Yad La’Isha’, the High Court of Justice confirmed that matters of gett refusal and agunot between a Jewish couple who are non-Israeli citizens falls within the jurisdiction of the rabbinical courts of Israel (Amendment 4b1). On May 7, 2023, the High Court rejected […]
PROF. RUTH HALPERIN-KADDARI: THE PROPOSED POLICIES WILL HARM WOMEN’S RIGHTS”.
The Rackman Center’s Founding Academic Director, Prof. Ruth Halperin-Kaddari, has appeared in many international news outlets covering the expected impact on women’s rights resulting from Israel’s new government’s proposed policies to overhaul the judicial system and to expand the jurisdiction of the rabbinical courts. Links to examples of these articles can be found here: Newsweek, […]
Rabbinical court deprives a woman of her share of the house due to accusations of infidelity
Rackman Center attorneys Shay Zilberberg and Adi Raz representing the woman (pro bono) in additional supreme court hearing scheduled for March 2020. In the rabbinical court system, the principle of equal apportionment of property between the parties plays no role and allegations of infidelity override other claims. The Rackman Center’s basic argument is that if […]